The story of salvation (cont.)

(continued from Tuesday's post)

What would God do for us? He sent His Son to us! His Son became one of us and offered himself as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Christ's sacrifice on the Cross became the only acceptable sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.

So, Christ's death and resurrection of Christ (it is understood as one event) is the act of salvation; it saves us from our sins and opens the gates of Heaven for us. We need to participate in the death and resurrection (the Paschal Mystery) of Christ in order to be saved and to enter the kingdom of Heaven. How do we do that?

Christ gives us seven main ways to participate in the Paschal Mystery: the sacraments. It begins with Baptism in which we die (to Original Sin) and rise with Christ. Jesus says we need to be baptized if we want to be saved. The most common form of baptism is water, but there are two other types: blood and desire. Those who are martyred receive Baptism by blood. Those who do not know about Baptism but desire to do the will of God can be saved (Catechism, #1260). This would include all of the holy men and women from the Old Testament; if they desired to do God's Will (living in anticipation of the Christ), they could be saved. We believe that Christ spent three days in the dead, freeing them from their waiting place to Heaven.

The faith and eternal life we receive in Baptism are nourished by the Eucharist. These are the two sacraments that Jesus says we definitely need to receive eternal life. (If you are ever talking with someone who says they don't need to go to Mass to get to Heaven, tell them that Jesus says we need to receive the Eucharist in order to have eternal life...in John 6:53) The other sacraments help to build up Grace in our lives and lead us to live and witness to Heaven in this life.

Hopefully, this story helps all of us to say "thank you, Jesus" the next time we walk by a crucifix or come to Mass where we remember what He has done for us.

What are the questions that you (GW students) have about the story or about the sacraments? (btw, basic questions are encouraged!!